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Monday, June 15, 2009

TVIEC - Report back on Cape Town March

REPORT BACK ON CAPE TOWN MARCH

We had a good showing at the Cape Town picket for the short amount of time there was to organise it and also considering the stormy weather. There were plus minus 200 people strong, who were vociferous, angered and concerned, yet at the same time witty and playful. We sang, danced and vuvuzelaed in the drizzle, gave megaphone speeches and placarded.

We were not officially given permission to march but rather to picket outside the SABC. We received strong support from the public who drove past the picket in Beach Road and just about every car hooted loudly and yelled their support out of their car windows.

The memorandum and a copy of the general public sms campaign was handed to Mr Conrad van Schoor, SABC Western Cape Finance Manager he accepted it on behalf of Nomfundo Mpuntsha, Regional General Manager Western Cape - who was in a meeting in Johannesburg. At first he was too nervous to come across the road to accept the memorandum in front of the picketers. We eventually convinced him that he needed to do so to show good faith. He did in the end although very nervously and didn't say a word. There was a "Where is your chequebook?" from the crowd.

Interestingly SABC workers affiliated to the union BEMAWU in Cape Town were allowed to join the march over lunch time and they did do so - see the youtube video posted by Miki Redlinghuis.

At a point we decided to move across the road to go and picket a bit closer to the SABC building - but a very strong police force came out en masse and prevented us from getting too near the building. We peacefully receded.

As the march was dying down around two o clock which was also the official ending time of the march - the rain came pouring down and everyone was cleared off the streets without any need for police to intervene.

Everyone was very pleased to have been given a chance to demonstrate their grievances and frustrations with the SABC which have seriously mounted up over the years. Younger industry members were concerned about their futures.

There was a great sense of camaraderie and unity amongst all the various industry members. It was a very positive and encouraging experience. There is still much work to be done to create real change but we have taken the first step.

Thank you to you TVIEC Joburg for initiating this action and creating such an incredible show of collective energy, spirit and force.

Thank you all for facing the stormy Cape Town weather and coming out with great force and passion to voice our anger, frustration, discontent and disgust about what is currently and has been previously taking place at our supposed public broadcaster, the SABC. Viva Cape Town!

The simultaneous Johannesburg and Cape Town protest was a great success. We flexed our collective muscles and we demonstrated our collective force and all with wonderful touches of humour and creativity. We received much press coverage as well as public sympathy.

Thank you all for your hard work, support, commitment and enthusiasm in making the protests happen.

Unite in the fight for our rights

Kali van der Merwe

Other-Wise media

DFA Documentary Filmmakers Association boardmember

A LIST OF ALL THE ORGANISATIONS AND PRODUCTION COMPANIES THAT TOOK PART IN THE CAPE TOWN PROTEST

(although we had students from the various varsities - there was not formal support from the actual institutions themselves but they were obviously sympathetic)

City Varsity

SAFREA - South Africa Freelancers Association

IPO - Independent Producers Organisation

PANSA - Performing Arts Network South Africa

UCT (Performers Student Council)

Cape Film Commission

WWMP – Workers World Media Production

WIFTSA - Women in Film and Television

SAMGI - South African Media and Gender Institute

TPA - The Producers Alliance

STEPS

DFA Documentary FIlmmakers Association

CWUSA - Creative Workers Union South Africa

SA Writers Guild

Stellenbosch University

Encounters Film Festival

SAGA

BEMAWU

PRODUCTION COMPANIES

Rooster Collective

Shamanic Organic

Tonnic Audio

Starving Comics

Solid Pictures

Sojourn Film and Media

Blast

Streetwize Casting

The Callsheet

Fierce Pix

Penguin Films

TOPCO

Rainbow Circle Films

Atomic Production

US Drama Department

North South Media

Shoal Creek

Joe Barber cc

TIme Gate

1Cut Films

Mama Dance

Clockwork Zoo

E Post Production

Other-Wise media

Plexus Films

See Thru Media

Fairweather FIlms

Take 2 Films

Soldiers of Informative Art

Women Unite

Get the Picture

Three Writers Group

Future Dimensions

Free Range Films

Brainwave Projects

Mouthful Entertainment

The Wendy House

Bubblegum Productions

APM cape - Artistes Personal Management

Shoot the Breeze Productions

4 Wall Films

Undercurrent films

(apologies if anyone was left off the list)

VIDEO OF THE SABC PROTEST

Co-Chair of the Documentary Filmmakers Association - Miki Redelinghuys, helped to organise the protest and also together with her team made a wonderful short documentary of the event - posted the same Thursday night.

Firestorm Productions shot and edited footage from the June 4th 2009 march on the SABC by Industry workers in Cape Town, South Africa.

The topics discussed dealt with blacklisting of broadcasters, the pulling of the Special Assignment documentary on Shapiro (Zapiro) days before the general election and the interference by Luthuli house in (s)electing the executive board of the SABC.

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